Your Venture’s Unfair Advantage

1. Clients - I have many pet sitting clients currently from pet sitting for eight years. This gives me an advantage because if I wanted to increase my rate, my current clients shouldn't have a problem with it because they know me and trust me. We've already established a relationship.

2. References - My clients can also be my references for new clients because they know me. This is also an advantage because they can refer to friends and family, or I can refer to them for new clients.

3. Degree in public relations – This is valuable to me because I wanted to strengthen my writing, and I can pursue many different jobs with this degree. I’ve learned how to conduct better research than before, incorporate sources, and communicate with professionals in the field.

4. Shadowed a PR professional – During my last semester, I was required to shadow a professional in my field. I shadowed a PR professional at a well-established PR firm in Jacksonville and was told to contact her when I graduate. I was able to see what a PR professional does, ask questions, and build my network.  

5. Reliable – Both my full-time job and pet sitting job require me to be reliable. My bosses and coworkers rely on me, and my clients rely on me because I’ve committed to them. I don’t have my own employees to delegate work to.

6. Experience working at a law firm for nine years – I’ve had to handle many ethical dilemmas while working there, and this could help me with whatever venture I decide to pursue next.

7. Connections with people in different fields – I know doctors, nurses, lawyers, business owners, entrepreneurs, and more because of pet sitting and where I work currently. These connections are valuable to me in case I ever need something, and they know many other people too. My connections can’t be duplicated.

8. Memory – I’ve been told I have a strong memory, which I think will be valuable to me in any field. With pet sitting, this is valuable because I can be more personable and remember names of clients’ family members, their vacations, and what they like.

9. No debt – Because I’ve paid for most of my education out of pocket and my car is paid off, I’m able to set aside money for savings and/or fund my own entrepreneurship. I won’t have to rely on anyone or ask for money, and I have good credit.

10. Quick thinker – Because of where I work, I may encounter new situations that require me to think on my feet. This is helpful in solving problems and creating solutions. I’ve had to do this with pet sitting conflicts, too. This is valuable because emergencies should be attended to quickly and will be helpful in any field.

Top resource: My top resource is my clients. This is more important to me because I won’t have to start from the bottom. I’m already earning money from them and can continue to do so while I build my entrepreneurship. My clients overlap with some of my social capital (my connections and references), which is another reason why they are important to me.